A Cat's Eye
by Midnight Starshine
Summary: Sylva and and her little sister get caught up in the horrors of the Death Eaters. Threatened by Bellatrix into helping Draco, Sylva must aid him in killing Dumbledore, or her sister is dead. Can she protect the last of her family while plotting her revenge? And can she avoid her strange feelings towards Draco?
1. Chapter 1

The chilly floor was promptly ignored when I walked over it, as well as the oppressive darkness in the Malfoy Manor. Stone floors, stone pillars, and stone walls, there was no color in this house, no life to behold. It was beautiful, yes, but as cold as the hearts of those who live here. The jaded grey _everything_ was carved and sculpted to perfection, but the warmth and signs of residence was missing completely. Not a single trinket was out of place, and every decoration was heavily calculated and placed not out of fondness, but in design.

In the two months I had been here, I have yet to find a personal object. There were clothing and toiletries, but there was nothing that could hold no other purpose than being sentimental. In the vast rooms that I had explored, there was nothing vibrant with color or personality, only the dreary continuation of dull grandeur. And as my expedition for the heart that made this place a home continued, I further realised that if indeed home in where the heart is, then this can be no home. Just a lonely house. It made me wonder how one could raise a child here, how one could live here and not go mad. I had no doubts in my mind that there were others here, Bellatrix just wouldn't let me see them.

The only time I could get away are times like these, when everyone has left the manor for business or to escape this desolate vacuum of emotion. But people were returning, and I must go back before I am caught. If only my pitifully short legs would go faster! I broke out into a full run now, due to the sound of voices nearing the entrance hall. I bolted up the stair and through the slightly ajar door. I pushed the door shut as quietly and gently as I could, but given my condition it was not a simple task.

I jumped up onto the overly comfortable bed and curled up around my little sister. We lay there for a long while, watching the door and listening. The only thing I found good in my situation was the enhanced senses. I could hear the squeak as weight was placed on the loose floorboard, and I could smell the signature perfume Bellatrix wore. The door opened, and Bellatrix smiled evilly at us.

"Such a good little girls, you are," she mockingly cooed. She sat on the chair by the window, beckoning me to her. "Always doing as I told you, it's quite boring actually." Her voice had grown from teasing to dark as she spoke.

I walked over to her, sitting in front of her chair and looked up at her. Her long black hair was in its usual style, piled high on her head and falling in her face. The tight curls framed her once beautiful face, but its aristocratic beauty had become more sullen after her time in Azkaban. She wore her usual black corset over a dark colored dress, and I distantly wondered if she ever wore anything else. I glared with all my might at her dark and sunken eyes, but she ignored me and picked me up.

She placed me in her lap and forced me to lay down, dragging her long nails through my short fur. I growled lowly at her, but she just laughed and squeezed my head in her hand. "Ah, my pet. Does it bother you? Is it degrading, having to sit in my lap and listen to me taunt you? I did murder your parents , and your grandparents before them," she giggled. She dug her nails into my skull and continued, "But you came for me, out of revenge. And now here we are, isn't this lovely? You even dragged your poor little sister down with you."

I refused to answer her. I turned my head to look out the window and seethed in silence. I was the proud pure-blood daughter of Vivian and Terence Thamarius! I am Sylva Thamarius, and while I may have been shielded from the world due to the war, I know enough to keep my chin up. I may have let them down by getting Serena into this mess, but I swear on my life I will get her out of this. My family's death was caused by their unwillingness to join the Death Eaters. I am proud of the fact that even in the face of death, they refused to join the twisted ideals of these psychos.

In my rage I seeked revenge on Bellatrix, and even with the element of surprise I could barely hold my own against the witch. In her cruelty, she didn't kill me along with everything else I loved, but cursed me and Serena into this form. Now I am a common black cat and she a cute little calico. I feed her need to inflict pain and suffering on others, and am often subjected to the cruciatus curse, but I am glad to say that I have never once let Bellatrix hurt Serena.

In her boredom Bellatrix likes to tell us about the people she has killed, especially our family. She would talk for hours about the people she tortured, and go into great detail about the sight of life leaving a person. She would go on and on about he-who-should-not-be-named, and gush about her absolute love and loyalty to him. I have noticed recently that her words have been getting to Serena. I worry for her, that this will scar her and mess with her head.

We are always either with her or alone now that she killed the few people my world revolved around. We're not "allowed" outside of this room, and no one has entered it except Bellatrix. I could feel myself slowly breaking too, and I fought hard not to let her beat me. The lack of outside contact, save for her, and the still-fresh grief for our losses constantly acted as a barrage of attacks against my weakening mindset. I clung to the hope that one day Bellatrix would fall by my hand and I would free myself and Serena of this curse. After that though, I had no idea. I have no connections due to my sheltered childhood, and nowhere to return too. The only thing that kept me going was revenge, and protecting my little sister.

As I thought over my reason for being here, I completely ignored the signs telling me there was someone approaching. The door opened to reveal a tall and stocky man, with short black hair. His eyes looked dull and unfocused, and his face was devoid of expression. The man looked at me as I lay in Bellatrix's lap, then spoke to her, "Really, Bella. A filthy animal?"

"They are special, Rodolphus." Bellatrix replied. They started talking about his stay, but I ignored the conversation. I stared at the open doorway, it would be a perfect opportunity to defy Bellatrix. I could show her she had not broken me down, and possibly be entertained by her reaction. At least until she decided to torture or kill me, that is.

I decided I would do it. Consequences be damned, I would do it. I looked over at Serena and we made eye contact. She followed my gaze as I turned to the open door. I readied myself, trying not to disturb or otherwise warn Bellatrix of my motives. With a sudden leap, I broke out of her grip and bolted out the door, Serena hot on my heels. Bellatrix's angry screech echoed around me, and if I could have, I would have smiled. We ran across the hall and down the stairs, if I could get to the main floor I knew a place we could hide. She would have to find us then, oh how it would make her mad. I set my sights on my destination, feeling my heart pound in my ears. I focused on getting there, on every step that brought me closer, and in my concentration I ignored my surroundings.

I ran into something. Well, it felt more like I got kicked by something as I was thrown across the floor. I whipped my head to see a tall, platinum blonde boy, maybe a year or two older than me. He was looking at me in curiosity as I quickly stood. I looked around to see I was so close, and to hear that Bellatrix was coming. Serena had ran past me, and was turned to watch me. I looked back over at the boy, who was still pondering my presence. He took a step towards me and I growled warningly at him. He smirked at me and came closer still.

I debated running, but something in me told me not to. I glared at him as he reached for me, but I didn't move away. My tail swished violently behind me, and he just picked me up. He held me at arms length, hands underneath my arms, and I dangled in the air. "How did you get in here?" he asked me. I watched him carefully, noticing that he was, in fact, very handsome. He had sharp, pointed features, and his almost white hair was short. But beneath the smug look on his face, I could see worry and stress simmering. I felt an overwhelming urge to help him, and in my stupor I forgot where I was. As I stared at him I slowly forgot all the death that plagued me, and all the pain I felt. My plans for revenge seemed so far away, and I thought I saw another reason to live. I could help him, I could do something other than destroy. Maybe if I saved him from his troubles, I wouldn't just simply exist. I would not only live, I would thrive.

But then she reminded me I am a cat. I cannot do anything.

"Draco, give me the cat," she commanded. I turned and hissed at her, bristling the hair on my back in hatred. My ears were flat against my head, and I struggled and spat. I noticed the boy, or Draco, hesitate to hand me over.

"Why?"

"Don't question me! Give me the bloody cat!" she exploded. I wasn't surprised she flipped, she was never the stable kind.

When Draco took too long she snatched me and threw me on the ground. I hissed in rebellion as she shouted the cursed words, _"Crucio!"_

Pain exploded and I writhed on the ground. I shut my eyes and stared at the pitch black of my eyelids. I refused to make any noise, any sound of discomfort. It felt like an eternity that I was lost in this sea of torture, drowning in its depths. Finally she had enough.

"I'm going to turn you back, that way you can tell me you understand. Retrorsum transformare!" My spine elongated, and my whiskers pulled into my face. My fur slowly turned into a midnight dress, and pupils turned back into round black pools, instead of slits. My body was sore from the transformation, but it was nothing compared to the hexes Bellatrix would put on me. I looked over to see Serena had hidden and I gave a small smile that she was at least safe.

I stood up straight and squared my shoulders. I used my slightly superior height to look down at Bellatrix. She shoved her wand under my chin and pressed it against the skin. I clasped my hands behind my back and tried my best to look unfazed by her. I lifted my chin to ease some on the pressure, and I looked down my nose at her. "It has been a while, Bellatrix," I said, hatred practically dripping from my voice.

"I have grown bored with you, girl. I should just kill you and be done with it," she whispered. She was leaning in and talking right into my ear, her proximity making me uncomfortable. "But I just had a good idea!" She looked over at Draco and smiled. I followed her gaze and made eye contact with Draco. He was watching the two of us with interest, but otherwise nonchalantly. She focused back on me and her smile dropped. "Perhaps you could still be of use. You weren't completely horrid when we fought, so you will assist Draco," she stated with some finality. Out of the corner of my eye I saw surprise flash across Draco's face, but it was gone as quickly as it came.

"I refuse. If he is anything like you, then I would prefer death," I ground out.

"You will do it! You filthy prat!" she screamed. We glared at each other, both refusing to back down. Her wand jabbed into me, and I wished I had my own. My hands twitched behind me, wanting to at least hit her.

"I will not have anything to do with you or your ilk! You can curse, kill, or otherwise maim me, but I refuse to assist racist, muggle-hating nutters!" I yelled back. "You have nothing left to threaten me with! You killed my family, but you cannot kill my pride! I will NEVER-"

"What about baby sissy?" she giggled. She stroked my cheek and whispered in my ear, "You will help Draco, and I won't kill your precious little sister."

I clenched my teeth in aggravation. I looked at Serena out of the corner of my eye and knew my decision was already made for me. "Very well, Bellatrix. I will do as you have asked," I spat. Serena meowed and I turned to look at her. She was practically shaking and I winked at her. She ran over to me and I picked her up and cradled her in my arms. "Sh, it's going to be okay! I promise." I set her down and looked at Bellatrix. "I want my sister returned back into a human, or there is no deal."

"You are playing with fire child," Bellatrix warned.

"There is no point if she is always like this, I will have her human and studying at Hogwarts. She did get her letter, and you wouldn't deny a pure-blood her precious education, would you?"

"Fine! Now grab his wrist, there will be no escaping this!"

I reached forward and grabbed Draco by the wrist, fully aware of her intentions. He looked unsure of this, but went through with it anyway. I sealed my fate, and swore I would help murder the great Dumbledore. My wrist burned with the seal, but I was one step closer to freedom.

**Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up in an unfamiliar room, in an unfamiliar bed. I had hands, not paws, so that was a good sign. Briefly I thought that maybe it was all a horrible dream, but I quickly crushed that hope. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, yawning. I stretched my arms high above my head, almost meowing in satisfaction when I heard the pop of my joints.

"Serena?" I called, scanning the room for my sister. I saw another bed across the room with a lump curled up under the blankets. I smiled at the picture, she still slept all curled up. "Oh Serena, wake up!" I gently shook her, but all I got in response was grumbling. This time I laughed, and she curled up tighter, clutching the blankets close. I sat next to her and called for her again, but she refused to wake up. I grinned as I thought of an idea. I layed down on top of her, putting my full weight on her. "What a comfy bed this is!" I said as overly dramatic as I could. I heard more complaints and that just pushed me to tease her more. I rolled around on top of her, effectively squishing her. "Oh my, I could just lay here for days!"

"Stop it Sylva!" Serena whined.

"And it talks! How wonderful!" I cried. "But does it laugh?" I pushed my fingers into her sides and she jerked as she laughed. I tickled her some more, causing her to squirm around in an attempt to escape.

"Alright, alright! I'm up!" she giggled. I got off of her and sat at the edge of her bed. She flipped the blankets off of her and sat up. Her jet black hair was short and messy, and her pink dress was crumpled. Her porcelain skin had red imprints from her sleeping position, but it was otherwise unblemished. I smiled sadly at the thought that I was happy she wouldn't have physical scars from our time with Bellatrix like I would.

"Hey, Sylva?" Serena's quiet voice broke through my thoughts.

"Yes?" I asked.

She crawled closer and sat down next to me. I wrapped my arm around her and waited for her to speak her mind. "Things are going to be okay now right? Bellatrix won't hurt you anymore?" My heart broke when she asked that. I picked her up and set her in my lap, holding her close and petting her hair.

"Yes, everything will be okay now, I promise. And just like before, I won't let anything hurt you, I didn't let Bellatrix, and I won't let anyone or anything else even come near you." I declared firmly. Serena wrapped her arms around me and held me tight, hiding her face in my chest. Guilt consumed me for bringing her into this, and even if it took until my last breath I would get her out. "Now lets get you polished up!"

I stood up and pulled Serena on her feet as well. I glanced around the room again to see the door that was previously closed, was now open. And Draco stood in the doorway. My eyes widened and I'm pretty sure I felt a blush creeping up on me. "How long have you been there?" I asked. By now I knew I really was blushing, and I hoped he just got there and didn't see our affectionate moment.

"Long enough," he casually replied, walking into the room. He stopped in front of me and looked me up and down before smirking. "Mother wants to see you for tea, but you better clean up first."

My blood boiled and a retort was on the tip of my tongue. I glared at his back as he turned around and walked out. I had half a mind to stomp after him and give him a piece of my mind, but then I remembered my position. I would have to put up with his annoying attitude from here on out, so I might as well get used to it now.

I found another door in our room that lead to a small but nice bathroom. A single porcelain sink stood in front of a small mirror. There was a tub and shower combo, and a toilet crammed into the corner. It wasn't as fancy as Bellatrix's room, but it was nice not being near her. I looked in the mirror to see that I do, in fact, look like crap. My long, midnight hair was sticking up in odd angles, and had snarls in random places. My pale skin was normal, a few new scars could be seen on my arms, but most were hidden by my underdress. I saw the outer layers laying out on the chair in our room, and quickly went to retrieve them.

Once dressed I went back to the bathroom, examining my floor length black dress. The corset top hugging my curves nicely, and the way it puffed out once it hit my waist gave me a more elegant look. I found a brush and pulled it through my waist length hair and untangled all the rats' nests. I put it all up in a graceful bun with small strands falling and framing my face. I still looked tired, but it was a big improvement. I finished washing up and made Serena do the same, putting her hair in a french braid.

We walked hand in hand through the large manor. I could hear Mrs. Malfoy in the sitting room drinking tea, the soft clatter of china. I found that my senses were still that of a cat, except for color, I could still see that. I assumed that it was after effects from being a cat for so long. In a way I was glad that I still had heightened senses, they could come in handy.

Navigating the house was different, the distance seemed so much shorter from point A to point B, and things that seemed so big were just average. Although my exploring did help me find my way and not lead myself and Serena lost.

Eventually we made it to the sitting room, pausing by the door. I wasn't sure how to proceed from here. I know my position was not a very high one in this family, they did put us in the servant quarters after all. I wouldn't want to act lower than myself, or they might get the wrong idea and think they could use me, yet if I acted all high and mighty I might get punished.

I knocked on the archway, startling Mrs. Malfoy. She turned towards us and gestured to a red loveseat across from her. We sat down, Serena keeping my hand in a vice like grip. I smiled at her reassuringly, patting her hand that was still clinging to mine.

"Lady Malfoy, what can we do for you?"

"Bella told me what happened, and I would like to offer you something."

"Such as?" I questioned. I was worried about her proposition, if she was anything like Bellatrix it would not bode well for me or Serena.

"Well, you are a gifted witch," she began, her emphasis on gifted not going unnoticed. "And I believe that you aiding my son could be beneficial. I have no doubt in his abilities, don't get me wrong, but it would make me feel better if he had someone to assist him in his endeavors." I watched her curiously, wondering where she was going with this. I already made the unbreakable vow, what more could I possibly do for these people. Narcissa sighed and continued, "I'm offering you and your sister the chance to continue your schooling, on one condition. Your sister may be spared, but you will be spending every spare moment doing anything my son needs you too. His task is your task, his word is your command."

"You are offering my sister freedom from this life?"

"Yes."

"And all I have to do is help Draco in any way possible?"

"Yes."

"I accept."

"Sylva!" Serena cried. "Don't do this, not for me!" She was tugging on my sleeve, trying to catch my eye. I avoided her gaze and refused to look away from Narcissa. I already told Bellatrix that Serena would be going to school, and at least Hogwarts would be safe for her. I never expected to finish my schooling, not after my stupid mistake. I pat Serena's hand and finally turned to smile at her.

"It'll be okay. See, now you get to go to Hogwarts, not some prissy all girls school like I did," I soothed her. She didn't quite look convinced so I added, "It'll be fun, too! I hear that Hogwarts is one of the best schools around and now you won't be cooped up with me all the time. You can make friends."

"But-"

"No buts," I turned to Narcissa. "Thank you for this opportunity, I will not let you down Lady Malfoy."

She nodded and gestured for us to leave. I assumed she would handle the paperwork then. I bet she even had a trick up her sleeve to get me into whatever house Draco was in. I ushered Serena out the archway and looked back. Narcissa had her face in her hands, the weight of the world seemingly on her shoulders. I felt sorry for her, having been born into the family she was in and in the situation her new family found itself, it must be hard. I can't imagine taking care of those you love was easy with the Dark Lord breathing down your neck. At least Serena and I had a chance. Maybe we could make it through this war.

_Maybe._

**So do bathrooms in England, or I guess Europe in general, have separate rooms for the toilet? I wasn't sure, so I clumped it in with all the other bathroom stuff, but I'm not sure its correct... Anywho! Please review!**


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